


Lovebird

by vintage_masquerade



Category: Caduceus | Trauma Center Series, Trauma Team
Genre: CR-S01, Derek Stiles/CR-S01, M/M, Trauma Center - Freeform, Trauma Team - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-27
Updated: 2013-11-27
Packaged: 2018-01-02 19:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1060416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vintage_masquerade/pseuds/vintage_masquerade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CR-S01 manages to (not so honestly) get some alone time with Dr. Stiles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lovebird

**Author's Note:**

> Another small excerpt from a larger fic that may or may not eventually happen. Ending is super abrupt, might tie it off later.

His moment of hesitation only lead up to the sound of receding footsteps. Maria's voice echoed in my head as I stared at the floor. _'Nothing's gonna happen if you sit and wait for it.'_ What was I supposed to do, sweep him into my arms and carry him away? My fantasies would not play out so well in reality. I couldn't even look into those soft brown eyes as we said goodbye. Our final farewell.  
 _'It was nice to meet you, Bird.'_

Hypoxic stars danced before my eyes as I followed him. I ran, despite the dark clouds around my vision from standing too fast. Why did I wait so long to go after him? I scolded myself for even letting him leave. This could be my last time seeing him, and I was ready to let it happen without raising a finger. Please don't be too late…

His hand froze on the door handle as I rounded the corner. His confused, slightly concerned expression did the same to my legs. My determination melted away at the sight of him, staring at me from the doorway, the tan jacket slung over his shoulder held by two slender fingers. The only thing missing was that incomparable smile, and I would have been completely lost.  
"Bird?" he asked, freezing every muscle in my body, "Are you uh, coming out this way?"

Of course he had to word it like that.

The irony of his unwittingly true statement forced my lungs into action. "I-I'm having a party to celebrate my release at a restaurant just down the street. Do you…" Come on, get it out! "Do you want to come?"

The missing piece of his otherwise perfect ensemble finally joined, lighting up his face. "I'd love to."

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

"…and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in a hospital bed with a whale of a headache and a very empty stomach. Turns out I was out for three straight days." Derek chuckled to himself over the dull roar of the other restaurant patrons, visibly reliving the memory of the time he used the Healing Touch one too many times. "Angie gave me a real earful for that one."

I laughed with him as I took another swig of water, leaving nothing but half-melted ice. This was the third of his stories I'd listened to; not that I minded hearing about his adventures in that smooth voice of his. In fact I had asked him to tell them, being at a complete loss for words myself. A few options came to mind, but nothing passed trial to make it to my lips. Do you have siblings? Pets? A girlfriend? The last one was scrapped before it was fully formed. My mental jury remained obstinate, impervious that it was only a matter of time before he grew bored and left. He couldn't serenade me with his tales all night.

Derek looked up from the disintegrating ice sliding around the bottom of his glass. "This is a pretty small party… What happened to everyone else? Didn't you invite the other doctors from Resurgam?"

"Um… M-maria said she would, I'm not sure who is actually coming." What kind of excuse is that?! I didn't have to look at him to see the skepticism in his eyes. My mind grabbed a straw, and my hands automatically went through with it. I pulled out my cell phone as if I just got a message, and pretended to study the screen for a moment. A raw lie slid out of my mouth. "Oh, this is from her. She said she forgot to ask anyone, and she can't come because she got called out to a car crash."

I shoved the phone into my pocket before Derek could see the empty screen. I made the mistake of making eye contact; his brows were scrunched together, suspicion evident in his face.  
"I didn't hear your phone ring…"

"I…" I mentally soiled myself. My eyes fell into the bottom of my cup, as if the perfect response was written under the ice. My mind threw its hands up in surrender, leaving me to stumble for an answer that would never come. He knew, he knew that I'd made up the party and that no one else was coming. He knew I liked him and that this was my desperate attempt to prolong my time with him. He would stand up and leave, and this time I wouldn't be able to stop him.

"There was no party… was there?"

The connections were forming. In seconds he would be gone.

"You only intended to bring me. I think I know what's going on."

A silly, stupid crush would be the thing to ruin a perfectly good friendship.

"This is really sweet, Bird. I just…"

He would go back to Caduceus, and I would never see him again.

"I'm disappointed. In myself, I mean…"

He would make sure of that.

"…for not thinking of it first."

…what?

My eyes didn't have time to focus on his face before his lips were against mine, one hand at the back of my neck, holding me in place. Heat scorched my face as a little sound of surprise escaped my covered mouth. Before I knew what was happening my tense muscles eased up, my whole body giving in to the kiss. I pressed back against him, revelling in the texture and warmth of his lips as they lingered on mine. Softer than I had imagined, and gentle in spite of the pressure he was exerting on me. It seemed like barely a moment before he released me. His chocolate eyes stared at me intently over his glasses, not nearly as breathless or red-faced as I was. A quivering breath was all I could omit, the memory of the kiss taking up every inch of my mind. It was all I could do to hold his gaze.

Warm shivers slid over my neck and off my shoulder with his hand as he removed it, intertwining it with his other hand where it rested in his lap. Embarrassment swirled with the passion in his eyes. "Uh… sorry, was I too forward?"

I numbly shook my head until my mouth recovered from the total paralysis he'd inflicted on it. "N-no, not at all." _'You were just too quick to call it off.'_  
"Ok good," Derek smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn't quite sure, that was the first time I did that with a guy…"  
"Me too…" Nerves made my laugh choppy, but I couldn't hold it in. The sound of his voice, the echo of his touch on my skin, the feel of his eyes boring into mine… The whole thing filled me with a sense of ecstasy like I'd never experienced.


End file.
